The Bleeding Rose
by Queen of Hexes
Summary: Someone had been looking for Henry Fitzroy for centuries-a person with a long and sordid history of lunacy and obession, someone that won't stop until they get what they have been looking for.
1. Bleeding Madness

Hallo!! Welcome to my first Blood Ties Fanfiction, now sadly I don't own any of the characters(apart from mine of course:P) or the plots of Tanya Huff or the creators of Blood Ties, enjoy!!!

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The crowds, hundreds of humans undulating in dance, lost to the emotions that gripped at them in the frenzied movements of the ancient and primitive. The scent of the humans swept fiercely through the thick and sticky air like a tidal wave, confined within the area of the clubs four walls; an miasma of sweat and acrid humanity lashed against me in overpowering rays and clung to the small and fine hairs of my nostrils, to my clothes, to my hair. It dragged me down into the swamp of humanity, where I had once; so very long ago belonged to.

The myriad of human emotion that rushed through the air freely, more freely than they could have ever done in the stern rigidity of everyday living, their inhibitions leaving as alcohol passed their lips and burned down their throats.  
I could feel everything, the normally feathery brushes of emotion turning into needle sharp daggers that dragged across my mind and filled me with feelings of freedom and happiness that I had not been privy to for a long time.

But even through this, the out of control chaos that thrummed in time to the screaming hums of trance music, the shuddering thumps beating next to my very own heart-I could smell something else, something so very old and yet familiar, it smelt of home and of my childhood, it sent the warmth of the sun on my limbs and brought with it vague remembrance of safety and comfort; it was a scent that had not touched me in nearly five centuries-it was _his _scent.

My hand flew to my heart, my white fingers grabbing a cluster of the black velvet, feeling the hard coolness of the centuries old pendant that hung at my throat. Icy tendrils snaked their way into my veins, their icy shards tearing and cutting, the painful emotions bursting in my chest with such strength that I half expected to look down and see a great, gaping hole resting in its place.

His name, a murmur of wind passing between my lips, followed by a strangled cry and I surged forward, shoving past the dancing and carefree humans in my path, breath bursting in jagged gasps, desperation colouring my senses red. I tore at my hair, spinning on the spot, glazed eyes feverishly through the enquiring eyes and stifled laughter at the antics of the mad woman that had taken my place. I called brokenly, my voice cracking my words into its separate syllables, a rough edge of hysteria bordering on my sobbed shouts-the scent was fading.

And the scent bleed away, that sharp musky smell blending seamlessly into the thick stench. I could feel my world twisting around me; the remnants of my sanity leaving with his scent. I snarled; the scent of my blood swirled to me, emitting from the wounds my nails had inflicted upon the skin of my palms and with a blood curdling scream, I released my sorrow to the earth and collapsed to the floor, the black velvet dress pooling like black blood about me, the sheer blackness absorbing the flickering of the crazy strobe lights and emphasized the abyss I found myself seated in the middle of.

The faintest swirl of his unique smell remaining behind in my memory and I clenched my eyes shut, ensnaring the salty tears in inhuman green cages and I cradled my head in my bleeding hands, my blood mixing with the pure, crystalline tears that had slipped past their barriers.

"Come on love, I think you've had to much to drink"

A male voice, hands gripped at me, hauling me to my feet, leading me away unseeing and bleeding, only barely aware of the sudden kiss of cold and clean air and the blissful retraction of the horrible stink, nothing mattered at that moment.

__

Find him, don't let him leave again

A whisper in my mind, and one that had me laying down ideas in a rapidly forming wall and I began to chant softly, a mantra in my mind-_I am a hunter, he shall be my prey, I will find you-My brother._

* * *

Dawn, I could feel its distant caress against my partially bare skin, the gentle warmth that would only grow increasingly hotter as the sun steadily rose, until it was full and high in the sky and it rays were scolding and destructive, lashing death and aggression upon me and once again I was barred from the earth and left to hide in darkness.

A sigh, a slight exhalation of breath brushed against my lips and with it, it brought a melancholy that ate away at me without mercy; he had been so close and I had allowed him to slip through my outstretched fingers. For hundreds of years he had been at the back of my mind, but he had been only a memory, a fond memory that I could look to when I felt my worst; but even with that fondness of remembrance came that pang of unbearable loss, the reminder of centuries of rumours and false alarms, the reminder of your hopes being dashed again and again and again, until you were forced to admit you have never been right in the first place-I had used to believe him to be alive and my obsession to find him had lead me to near killed me more times than I could ever imagine and it had driven me slowly insane, but it had been all that had driven me to stay alive.

Yet after about two centuries of madness, of obsession and of pain , I was forced to admit that I had never been right, that deep down he had always been dead and that all I had been following were pipe dreams that would never come true; I mean who can raise the dead? Certainly not me and that's what had hurt the most, he was dead…long dead, centuries dead and I still had searched for him, like a child chases stray balloons on the wind, I had been a fool, following a crazy route.

But tonight? Tonight had changed everything! Every rumour and reported sighting I had ever heard had been right, hundreds of years of thinking I was caught in the grip of delusions and insanity were blown away, decades of believing whole heartedly that I simply couldn't let go of an old ghost wiped clean and it was more damaging that I could have ever imagined, it was pushing me perilously close to the railway lines of madness once again.

The rays of the sun began brushing the pavements, causing them to glow in such a kaleidoscopic array of colours that for the briefest second all worries were soothed away, before the scalding heat became unbearable and I dived through the doorway of a nearby derelict building, unable to reach my home in time for the suns rising, retreating into the shadowy confines, looking out over the budding light and sighed, the soft sound conveying my regret and sorrows and an desperate longing for the sun on my skin, as it had done when we had been children.

The burdens of my soul suddenly became heavier and the lunacy vibrated through my veins with renewed urgency and I knew of only one cure that could save me from the clutches of madness-my brother,

"Henry"

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So, what does everyone think? Do you think I should continue? I would really appreciate feedback! Thank you!


	2. Conflict

**Hi there! I'm sorry its taken so long for an update, I'm ashamed to admit I'm a terrible updater. Thank you so much for the reviews, they are much welcomed and loved. This chapter isn't as intense as the last, but I promise that more is coming soon!! Thanks for reading-enjoy!**

The sun had retreated, pulled away its loving embrace upon the earth and stepped aside for the coolness of the night to grip the planet tightly. And the darkness dragged the first breath to my dead lungs and sent life rushing through my veins-electrifying my senses to a blissful high.

I shifted uncomfortably, I was lying on a lumpy, sharp and hard surface that felt completely unfamiliar-a crunch and I froze. I stumbled to my feet, wincing as sharpness dug into my flesh and clung to my back-my eyes cast around with disorientation; broken glass. My breath shuddered in, and my head shook furiously in an attempt to clear the haziness that clung to my brain.

I braced myself against the nearest wall-grey and crumbling like the other and marred by thick and colourful graffiti that arched through the stone in an obscene shine to modern culture. As always, even in my confused state, I pondered the decadence of society now a days; in my time everyone was polite and formal, it was pretty smiles and fluttered eyelashes, of political standing and of the imperative of impeccable reputation; that or everything you could have ever earned or hoped for flew straight through the window; things like the graffiti always made me wonder at the true nature of humanity, and how close that monster had been lurking beneath our skins, just waiting for the stifling restraint of our society and culture to be lifted and therefore unleashed onto the world.

A low groan, I hadn't even realised one had passed my lips-my head felt as though someone beat a deafeningly loud drum within the confines of my skull and my throat burned as through liquid fire scolded it, pure thirst and hunger fuelling it.

The heavy sent of decay nudged urgently at my nostrils, reminding me of my unfamiliar surroundings-I bit at my lip as worry mounted. I looked around and sighed as I saw a path to freedom, brushing the shards of glass from the back of my black velvet dress, soiled with what appeared to be day's worth of sweat and dirt and unwashed flesh-horror shuddered through me-for how long had I slept? I scolded myself harshly, what if someone had come across my seemingly dead body?!

I took a long, shuddering breath; calming me as much as possible before I allowed the thoughts that crowded behind my eyes to crash against me like a battering ram at an enemy's gate-Henry, Henry my brother was alive!! He was the reason that I crouched in a derelict building to hide from the sun after I had been unable to return to my home in time- I had found refuge in a broken, beacon for squatters, where I could have easily been discovered.

Julian! He must be so worried!

I moved swiftly towards the narrow rectangle of night, peeping through the depressing gloom of the ruined building; not even glancing back at the place of my rest and with anticipation, anger and reservation I leapt over the door that hung from the doorframe and into the cool night.

* * *

"Where have you been?"

The demand lashed against me like invisible fire, the moment I stepped through the door of my home and my resting place-the pure panic in the masculine voice caused shame to rise in my throat like hot bile. The black haired man strode forward, his non-descript face twisted with rage and his hands shot out and captured my shoulders in a painful grip

"Well? Do you even realise that you have been gone for three whole days?! I believed you to be dead! Burned to a wizened husk in the sunlight! Dead and gon-"

He suddenly stopped, his raised and angry words wilting away to a dying whisper on his lips-he shook his head and his azure eyes-so similar to my own-that pulsed with hurt and worry peered into mine with an intensity that seemed to intrude into my mind.

_Three _days? I had never slept for so long before and it caused a pang of nervousness-three days was an impossible time to slumber and that ft alone gave cause to worry.  
My gaze dropped, eyes brushing against the shining parquet floor; my poise was tense and I shuddered to tell of my news, it almost vibrated from my tongue and into the open air. Julian's shoulders slumped as through a massive weight had been placed upon them and his hands dropped from my shoulders and they rose in exasperation.

"You _slept_? You _slept_? My God! I was prepared to meet the sun!"

My head jerked up to face him-his statement had temporarily snapped me from my astonishment, guilt and excitement and instead was filled with hot anger.

"What do you mean meet the sun?! How could you even think such a thing?!" my voice was high pitched and incredibly angry and with some satisfaction I watched as his head hung in a way similar to my own positioning just moments ago. "You, you have been like-no" he said in a deep, quiet voice, he steadied himself with a fortifying breath "No, you _have _been my mother for nearly five centuries and if you-if you _died_" his voice cracked and his eyes glazed over with moisture and for a moment I saw the internal struggle, before they hardened with resolve and wisdom that could only gained over many, many decades "and if you died, why would I want to live myself?"

I sucked in a breath "Oh Julian" I held out my arms to him, a weak semi-circle that trembled pitifully, but none the less he stepped inside and surrendered to my grip "I could never willing cause you pain" my hands began to tangle in his dyed black hair, my fingers gently tracing the auburn roots that had begun to grow through the wild mess of faux blackness; the colour was just a few shades of my own hair.

"I know"

The simple and short statement drew a sigh of relief from my lips and together we stood, just enjoying the embrace of family-when the spell was broken.

"I have only ever seen you in this state when you believed Henry to be alive"

I yanked back sharply and strode to the bay windows-looking out over the moon touched city, ethereal light illuminating each blade of grass. Each passing car, each human into perfect and astounding clarity and sent beautiful spectrums of colour, unbeknownst to the human eye, bursting in the star speckled, velvet sky.

"I smelt him Julian"

An exhalation of breath "Ele-" I whirled around, lips drawing back and sliding over the sharp canines that had just erupted forth. "No! Don't tell me it wasn't him! Don't think that I couldn't tell! It was him, this time I know for certain!"

He shook his head sadly and turned from me, his back a bleak and depressing sight to me "No, he's dead and he's been dead for centuries" his voice was wary and long suffering "He's been dead for hundreds of years! Why can't you let him go? Isn't it time?" I advanced and flung my arms from my side, the palms facing forward "Because he is my brother! He was the only one that cared for me when we were children! Hell, even after that! When I had been forced to marry a noble of my father's choice…" my voice trailed away as I was swamped with memories "I can't let him go now, not when I know for certain he's alive"

He turned back to face me, his face pinched and drawn "you say this EVERYTIME! And this time _won't be any different!" _I snarled with impatience "I know what I smelt; I scented him and with came memories that haven't touched my mind in decades-that's never happened before!" my voice grew higher in pitch and my hands clenched into fists.  
"You can't do this again, you can't handle it" a heavy and sombre edge had lined his deep voice "I thought that you had finally accepted that Henry is dead and gone-he was dead even before you turned. He is but dust in the ground by now-why do you _insist _in chasing a ghost?!"

A dark rage bloomed within me and whispers of anger began speaking in my ears and I hurtled towards the boy that I considered my son-pushing him with savage force and knocked him to the ground with a thud "Don't you _ever _tell me that! I don't enjoy this, floating this close to madness-do you think I like being this way? He _is _alive-I wouldn't risk my sanity and my life _again _to chase after a long dead ghost"  
Julian's face contorted with indistinguishable emotion and he looked up at me from his position on the ground.

"Fine, say he is alive-what will your brother do when he sees you? Will he welcome you back with open arms? Will he even recognise you? Will he be glad to now you have been effectively stalking him for centuries?"

I shuddered and wrapped my arms across my chest; my eyes clenched shut as he recited this familiar litany. "Will he even be able to bear you being near him without the urge to rip you to shreds? It took us _sixty years-_we had to overcome that bit by bit and it was _hard, _you have never prepared yourself for any other alternative and I can't watch you break all over again!"  
I turned away and looked out of the window once again, feeling a strange calm settle over me and turning my head over my shoulder, piercing him with my gaze "rejected or not, I will find my brother and you will find your-"

I was cut off by a sudden and viscous growl "No! I can't and neither can you" he jumped to his feet and shoved his hand through his hair "I need air, I need to hunt-don't worry _I _won't be gone for three days" and with that last jibe that embedded in my heart he turned and left, the door slamming behind him with such force that a few of the pictures on the walls fell to the ground, the glass shattering upon the impact.

I brushed the heavy necklace around my neck absentmindedly as I contemplated the fight-it was the carbon copy of every single fight before it and as always it left a agonising pressure on my mind and heart, a burden that was never quite lifted.

Julian, he was my family-the only close member that remained. I had my descendants, my four children's children and so forth-but to those descendants I was either an unknown name in their history or an ancient, interesting story to tell around perhaps to boost their prestige-I wasn't a living person, I was simply old history.  
I ached for family, it was what fuelled my almost rabid search for my brother-no one wants to spend eternity alone, and while I wasn't wholly alone; I was desperate for the warmth of a big loving family, that was a luxury I had never been able to enjoy.

My mother had married a noble man and I had been sent away to the French Court to be raised as the perfect Courtier. My father had only on occasion acknowledged or spoke to me and I was required to do as he ordered, as a good daughter did. I married my husband because I had been forced to by my father. I had rarely seen my children because my husband wouldn't let his wife and a lady concern herself with the upbringing of children-that simply wasn't the way that the nobility worked, and the will of women had always been completely overlooked.

I breathed in deeply, I had enough of the endless tears-it wasn't wrong of me to want family? Was it? And as I pondered this chain of thought, my eyes flickered to one of the fallen pictures that lay nearly unscathed upon the ground. It was me and Julian, taken on 13th May 1920 in Greece,; it had always been my favourite picture, we looked happy and joyful, but even here the shadow of our constant search shone in our black and white eyes . I swooped down and cradled it in my hands, noting the spider web cracks obscured Julian's face, my eyes drifted shut-was it a sign? Was it predicting that Julian would soon be missing from my life? That I had finally succeeded in pushing him away with my constant and unrelenting search?

I can only hope that it didn't, but then again only time could tell' even if the wait was torturous, right?


	3. Confusion

I struggled in vain to get the blaring anger under control, taking huge gulping breathes that fed me the thousands of scents from the huge city. I had, had enough of the constant fights and I had, had enough of being the one to hold my mother's fragile sanity together.

It was a massive burden upon me and it was a burden that I was tired of having to bear. But she was my mother, in all but blood. She was my maker, my sire and the bond between us was unbreakable. I smiled faintly as I remembered the first time that she had claimed me as her own blood and kin.

_Darkness, I couldn't breathe. The pain in my abdomen was crushing, it tore within me and forced blood and bile to mix in my mouth with the most foul of tastes. I could feel darkness tugging at my vision and my consciousness; I could hear the distant call of the horse and the whisper of festivities at the castle.  
I berated fiercely myself for being such a fool, why had I stolen the Queen's horse? Why had I felt the need to prove myself to the other young courtiers? I was nothing but a low class jester! Now I would pay for my folly…with my death._

The caress of coldness on my skin, deaths touch, I concluded with weary acceptance and with much effort I forced my eyes open, so I could see the shine of the stars one last time. The world was hazy, but I saw not stars in the black sky; instead I saw the blurred outline of a woman, whose skin was a white as the purest snow. Her eyes were huge, dark and seemingly without colour and they were belied by the hang of auburn ringlets that framed her face.

"_Are-are you Death, Mistress?" I wheezed with tremendous effort, flinching away from the internal pain that had stabbed into my lungs. She smiled and brushed her cool fingers over my face, her other hand clutching at an amulet around her neck; the crest was beyond my limited vision._

"Aye, many would say that I am Death; an angel of Lucifer, daughter to Satan himself" Her voice was soft and held the tune of gentle melody "but I am not here to grant you death, Lord Julian. I am here to bequest upon you the gift of life"

_I gasped as I felt the pain boil to unbearable levels, fear toiled with my heart as the evil wraith came all the closer "Get thee behind me Satan. I will not be tempted by you devil! I will die virtuous and I shall be welcomed lovingly into my Lords arms!"_

_She laughed again and smoothed the front of her red velvet dress with unerring hands "Julian, many men have refused the gift of life; only to accept it in a sudden fit of desperation and despair. For their soul and their heart yearn for life, life burns too brightly for them to refuse it, even If their mind protests. What makes you, different?"_

_I gargle, the words are beginning to die on my tongue "Because I am a man that belongs only to God, I will not yield to the temptations of the Devil"_

_She nods softly and she learn so close that I can feel her breath on my neck, she is inhaling the scent of my blood "My dearest Kin, I have watched over you and my children and now their children for many years-it has been dangerous for me to do so, for if I am caught; I am over. I do not wish for you to die, dearest Julian-I want for you to live"_

_Blackness! And abyss it creeps at me, my sudden burst of awareness fades. It is as through I am falling deaf, dumb, mute, blind and paralysed simultaneously. Terror seizes me, I try to thrash but I cannot move, my choice is made, it took only a few seconds for my absolution to wither and die; I, Lord Julian would not be welcomed to God's arms. _

"_My Lady! My Lady, life! I choose life" I feel the smile on my skin, the ghost of her lips; I hear the tear of flesh and then the press of a wrist at my mouth and the rush of salty blood on my tongue. I gulp desperately. I hear her speak, she said that I had lost enough blood for the change to work; she need not relinquish any from me._

"_You will die Lord Julian and the Lords and Lady's of Queen Mary's Court shall find you upon this spot; dead, crushed and broken. You shall be dubbed Julian the fool, he who stole the Queen's horse for sport and went riding in the dark, you who died from a tragic fall. You name will be told to young sons as an example not to follow in your folly."_

_And still I drank, my nails scratching into her porcelain skin with almost rabid lust "You will be buried as the Lord you are and when you arise from the grave; a Son of Darkness, a Son of mine and I shall be there to welcome you"_

_She pulled her wrist away and she pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead "Sleep now little Julian, for when you awaken; the world shall be a different place"_

_And with painless ease, I slipped into blackness. And died._

She was my mother, my maker. Her blood was life in my veins. I could never leave her to fend for herself and to bear the destructive force of her delusions alone; no matter how many times I said that I was going to leave. I could never bring myself to take that final step out of the door.

She liked to pretend that she was strong, the pillar of strength that held us together. But I knew her better than she knew herself and I knew that in reality the woman was as fragile as a lone, dried out leaf; Vulnerable and privy to destruction at the slightest gust of wind.

But she was my mother, my family.

I breathed in deep, swaying slightly under the barrage of scents suddenly hitting me; trying to quell the turmoil within me. Things would get better, they always did. But the voice at the back of my mind taunted me softly, it whispering voice darkly amused.

_Will it? You saw that things were different this time. Maybe she won't get better, maybe you'll finally leave._

I snarled to myself and tried to force my muscles to relax, but only succeeded in freezing them even more. I sighed and rolled my limbs gently and allowed myself to connect with the world around me. I became aware of the desperate thirst and hunger scratching at my throat. I heard the distant movements of a lone human, accompanied by its heady stench. It fluttered as softly as a butterfly n the air, stirring the inhuman and primal beast within me.

I stalked silently through the backstreet, following the sweet human scent; almost salivating at the prospect of a meal; the sharpness of anticipation momentarily broke from the haze that drifted on my mind. And a tingle of excitement travelled up my spine.

The prey was in sight, enticing me forward and in a swift and sure motion, I darted forward; ensnaring the soft, female human in my unbreakable grasp, sinking my elongated canines into the crease where neck and shoulder meets; hot blood fills my mouth, running down my throat with burning pleasure. The human bucks and twists, she tries to scream, but my hand is over her mouth. She bites deep into the fleshy pad of my palm; the pain is brief and flaring. She flays in panic, her legs kicking powerfully and her arms, partly constrained by my grip whip about uselessly. The struggle excites me and with reluctance I draw away from the fun, before she dies from blood loss and the whole city is sent on a Vampire Hunt, armed with stakes and crosses. I spin her around sharply, drawing her to look into the eyes of her attacker and summoning power I intone softly.

"You will not remember this; you will not remember me…now go!"

And with the obedience of a puppy forced into concurring to their owners will, the woman staggers away, looking to the world like a sot crawling home after a night of drunken escapades. I smirk at the antics of the Lady; in my childhood, when the world was younger. Women were docile creatures and more inclined to faint than to fight. The fiery and independent nature of women in this age was a refreshing change and it made the excitement of the hunt all the more…enthralling.

I sighed again and brushed imaginary dirt from the lapel of my beige coat, feeling momentarily euphoric from my meal. The feeling wouldn't last for long, blood was like a drug; but a drug essential to survival,, you craved it and experienced the unimaginable highs and then you had to experience the near unbearable lows as the effects and warmth wore off.

But before the high thawed within me; a scent caught my nose, an ancient and musky scent that spun me back to my childhood. My lips drew back menacingly, my knees bent instinctively into a small crouch and I moved forward slowly.

It was another vampire, another vampire in the territory that I had claimed. Pure outrage and instinctual territorialism rose like hot bile within me. I snarled and flitted forward; leaping upwards and following the scent to the top of the building.

The whole city was laid before me, my eyes scanned the shadows for the interloper-this was MY territory and had been for three years-my mind raced, my chest heaved; I was alone, the threat was gone and the red haze within my brain began to settle; I could think a bit more clearly. Who _was _this Vampire? A newborn without its maker? I shook my head at that thought, the scent was established; there were no hints of humanity left. It smelled experienced and incredibly old.

I ground my knuckles into my forehead, snatching the lingering scent from the air; scrutinising it carefully, yes; it _was _an old scent-older than my own scent. It was imbued with a familiar base scent, the scent of the maker. My eyes widened, the base scent was that of Christina! My mother's maker! Another of Christina's progeny was in town. I groaned and punched a wall, grounding it to dust. This is _just _what Mother needs right now! She's unstable and the last time a sibling had come, they had found themselves very dead before they could speak a word.

I leaped from the edge of the building, landing gracefully-the scent had been sharp and musky, it had been just slightly older than I and it had reminded me of my childhood and the warmth of the sun. I mused…Funny that.


End file.
